The Sea Cow
We were approaching the island when the water in front of us rose up.
A huge mound emerged, revealing a massive creature. A sea monster... with a cow's head.
Two large innocent eyes. Horns. A muzzle blowing water.
"WHAT IS THAT THING?!" Usopp screamed.
"A sea cow," Johnny answered. "It works for Arlong. It's eaten a lot of people..."
The creature stared at us, opening a mouth full of sharp teeth.
Sanji lit a cigarette. "She's cute. But dangerous."
"I'LL CRUSH HER!" he shouted, jumping.
"COLLIER!"
"ÉPAULE!"
"POITRINE!"
Kick after kick. Sanji took her down with surgical precision, targeting weak points.
The sea cow moaned and collapsed, floating on the surface, unconscious but alive.
"Should we eat it?" Luffy asked hopefully.
I looked at the creature. It was... adorable, in a way. Despite what it had done under Arlong's orders.
"No," I said. "We let it drift. It'll find a better fate elsewhere."
"But..."
"We already ate in the cafeteria. It deserves a chance."
Luffy shrugged. "Okay."
We went around the sea cow and landed on the beach.
The Arrogant Fishmen
Barely had our rowboat touched the sand when a group of fishmen surrounded us.
Three of them. With features of sharks, octopuses, and various fish. They looked at us with contempt.
"Pathetic humans," one sneered. "You dare come to Arlong-sama's territory?"
"We are the SUPERIOR RACE!" another added. "Ten times stronger than you, miserable monkeys!"
"If you give us your money now, your death will be quick," said the third.
Zoro looked at them with boredom. "Are you done?"
"WHAT?!"
"Oni... Giri."
SLASH!
In one fluid motion, Zoro slashed the three fishmen. They collapsed on the deck, unconscious, blood flowing from their superficial wounds.
We looked at them in silence.
Then Usopp spoke. "That's... that's it, fishmen? Ten times stronger than humans?"
"They're pathetic," Sanji commented.
"Disappointing," Zoro added.
I knelt near the two who were still breathing. "Perfect. I need Class-D."
"What?" Luffy asked.
"Test subjects. And now, I have two."
I summoned the Foundation door and dragged the two fishmen inside, under my companions' confused looks.
Cell Modification
I deposited the two fishmen in cells in the Class-D quarters.
CLANG.
The doors closed automatically.
Then something strange happened.
The cell walls began to glow. The concrete reinforced, transforming into a more resistant metal alloy. The bars thickened. The locks multiplied.
"System? What's this?"
[AUTOMATIC CELL UPGRADE]
[DETECTION: NON-HUMAN PRISONERS WITH SUPERIOR STRENGTH]
[USING MATERIAL RESERVES FOR REINFORCEMENT]
"You can do that?"
[FUNCTION UNLOCKED AT 4 CAPTURED SCPS]
[LIMIT: 3 REINFORCED CELLS MAXIMUM]
[INSUFFICIENT RESERVES FOR MORE]
I looked at the two unconscious fishmen. Weak. Pathetic. Not worthy of reinforced cells.
"Cancel the reinforcement. Save these three cells for Arlong and his officers. They'll need them."
[CANCELLATION IN PROGRESS...]
The cells returned to normal.
"Meanwhile..." I looked at the two specimens. "I have experiments to do."
Scientific Dissection
I dragged the two fishmen to the laboratory. They were still unconscious – Zoro had roughed them up good.
I strapped them to operating tables, prepared my instruments, and began.
[RESEARCH LOG: EXPERIMENT #001]
[SUBJECT: FISHMEN (UNKNOWN SPECIES)]
[OBJECTIVE: ANALYZE THEIR PHYSIOLOGY]
I first injected massive doses of tranquilizers. Their bodies resisted – I needed three times the normal dose to keep them asleep.
NOTE 1: Significant drug resistance. Accelerated metabolism.
Next, I collected blood and tissue samples. The machines analyzed their DNA.
The results stunned me.
NOTE 2: DNA completely different from humans. My evolution hypothesis is WRONG. Fishmen do NOT descend from fish having evolved toward human form, nor from humans having evolved toward aquatic form. Their race is UNIQUE. They have always existed in this form.
It was fascinating. An entirely distinct species, with its own evolutionary branch.
I then tested their skin. I subjected it to increasing pressures in a compression chamber.
NOTE 3: Fishmen skin resists pressures up to 1000 bars. Logical, considering they live 10,000 meters below the surface. Their epidermis has a unique cellular structure that redistributes pressure uniformly.
I scanned their skeletons.
NOTE 4: Bone density 3.7 times higher than humans. Flexible structure allowing movements impossible for a human skeleton. Remarkable adaptation to underwater environment.
Finally, I tested their muscular strength.
NOTE 5: Brute strength estimated at 10 times that of an average human. HOWEVER, these two specimens are weak even for their species. Trained fishmen would be exponentially more dangerous.
CONCLUSION: Fishmen are a fascinating species. To deepen my research, I would need specimens with more varied physiologies – shark, octopus, ray, etc. Arlong and his officers would be ideal subjects.
I cleaned my instruments, closed their wounds, and brought them back to their cells.
They would wake soon. Confused. Terrified. But alive.
Perfect for future tests.
Injured Nami
I left the Foundation and found that everyone had already left.
"Obviously. Luffy rushed off without waiting for me."
I followed the path to Arlong Park. The traces of combat were evident – broken trees, craters in the ground, footprints.
Then I saw her.
Nami.
Sitting in the middle of the road. Shoulder bleeding. Luffy's straw hat on her head. Tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Nami?"
She looked up at me, surprised. "Marc... you..."
"What happened?"
"Colonel Rat... he stole my money... everything I'd saved for eight years..." Her voice broke. "I'm... I'm so stupid..."
I knelt beside her and examined her wound. Deep. Painful. Self-inflicted, probably – an Arlong tattoo she had tried to tear off.
"Wait."
I pulled out a first aid kit from my pocket – always useful – and cleaned the wound. She grimaced but didn't complain.
"You know," I said while applying a bandage, "you're not alone anymore."
"What?"
"You have companions now. Real companions. Who care about you. Who will protect you."
She lowered her eyes. "Why... why would you do that for me? I stole your ship..."
"Because that's what friends do."
I finished the bandage. Clean. Tight. Professional.
"There. That should hold."
She touched her shoulder, surprised. "Thank you..."
"You're welcome. Now, rest. Luffy's taking care of the rest."
I stood up and continued toward Arlong Park.
Behind me, Nami was still crying. But this time, I felt they were tears of relief.
The Fifth SCP
I approached Arlong Park. The sounds of battle echoed – punches, explosions, cries of rage.
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
[ALERT: ANOMALY DETECTED]
[DISTANCE: 100 METERS]
[SCP PROBABILITY: 94%]
[LOCATION: ARLONG PARK]
My heart raced.
"The fifth SCP..."
[DISTANCE: 80 METERS]
[DISTANCE: 60 METERS]
I ran faster.
[DISTANCE: 40 METERS]
[DISTANCE: 20 METERS]
I arrived in front of Arlong Park. The huge complex rose before me, half-destroyed by combat.
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
[ANOMALY CONFIRMED]
[DISTANCE: 10 METERS]
[ANALYSIS IN PROGRESS...]
I squinted, scanning the surroundings.
Where was it?
What SCP was hiding here?
And above all...
Was I finally going to unlock my guard team?
[END OF CHAPTER 15]
[ANOMALIES CAPTURED: 4/5]
[CLASS-D CAPTURED: 2 (FISHMEN)]
[SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES:]
[- FISHMEN = UNIQUE SPECIES, NOT EVOLVED]
[- HIGH DRUG RESISTANCE]
[- BONE DENSITY 3.7X HIGHER]
[- SKIN RESISTS 1000 BARS OF PRESSURE]
[FUNCTION UNLOCKED: REINFORCED CELLS (3 MAX)]
[SYMBIOSIS SCP-006: 89%]
[ANOMALY DETECTED: ARLONG PARK (10 METERS)]
[PROGRESS: 99% TOWARD GUARD TEAM]